The DOD45 Show

The DOD45 Show Ep 128: Cas One & Tai's Pe'a Journey (Part 3 of 3)

The final chapter. My last day of tapping, my samaga... and the part where I thought I might not make it home from Samoa.

We pick up mid leg day, with a tourist asking the question everybody asks: does it hurt? From there it's the inside of my legs, the belly button, the ceremony & a whole lot of post tattoo drama. Cas One is ridin' shotgun to the finish line.

In Part 3:

Thank u to Cas One for riding shotgun through all 3 parts, to Sage Francis, Mr. Dibbs & Laura, and to Strange Famous Records, always.

Cas's music: casone.bandcamp.com

If you made it through my butthole story, you've earned the right to subscribe & leave us a review.

The DOD45 Show Ep 127: Cas One & Tai's Pe'a Journey (Part 2 of 3)

Part 1 was the prep. Part 2 is where the tapping starts... my back, my ribs & yes, the butt.

We pick up right where Part 1 left off, with Samoa losin' our passports & me about to lay down on the mat for day 1. Cas One is still ridin' shotgun & still askin' the questions nobody else would.

In Part 2:

To be continued in Part 3: my last day of tappin', my samaga & all the post tattoo drama.

Corrections from Part 1:

Updates:

Come see me:

Thank u Cas One, Ade & Strange Famous Records, always.

Affiliates: Strange Famous Records, Mr. Dibbs, AWOL One & speakerface.store, Brick Box Brewery, Terror Tacos, Jackson Junge Gallery, Hobbsauce, Handsmade Records, Aliens Built Earth, Observer (observemore.com) & Ol' Blue Gallery

Watch the full video version on YouTube.

The DOD45 Show Ep 126: Cas One & Tai's Pe'a Journey (Part 1 of 3)

This episode's different than most.

In August I went to Samoa & received my pe'a, the traditional Samoan tatau. It was tapped into my skin by hand over 6 days, from my ribs to below my kneecaps, every inch. It was the most painful thing I've ever been through... and an honorable, spiritual one that changed my life forever.

So many of u messaged me askin' how I was feelin' & what the whole experience was like, so we're tellin' all of it here. Before I went, I spent months soakin' up every video & story I could find from people who shared their own pe'a journeys. It helped me so much psychologically... and I still wanted more. If you're thinkin' about gettin' yours, I hope this helps u the same way.

Ade & I were both there for every minute of it, so the 2 of us talkin' to an empty room felt weird. So our friend Cas One sat in to hear the story & ask the questions. He's a great listener, he busts balls & he keeps it fun. And it's his birthday the day this drops, so happy birthday Cas!

IN PART 1

To be continued in Part 2.

A quick note: everything I share here comes from my own experience & the way my family raised me in our culture. Other people's pe'a journeys & upbringings may look totally different. Mine's no more special than anyone else's... and no less.

Later in this 3 part series: Sage Francis & Mr. Dibbs pop in, Dibbs' wife Laura saves me from peril in Samoa, and we spin "Karen O" off the 45 LP with Cas on it.

Wanna see it? The full video version is up on YouTube.

FA'AFETAI

To Ade, my wife & my partner on this show... I am nothing without her. To our kids for bein' there. And to Strange Famous Records, always.

UPDATES

We're back. This discussion was recorded in January 2026 & we're finally airing it after a long hiatus grinding the ArtByTai side of life. Massive thanks to Blueprint for his patience & for showing up for us in the 1st place. We've wanted him on the show forever.

Blueprint aka Printmatic is one of the most respected independent voices in hip hop. Co-founder of Greenhouse, one half of Soul Position with RJD2, founder of Weightless Recordings, author, & co-host of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast with Illogic. His latest album Vessel is out now.

In this one we get into his trucking years... yes, Blueprint got his CDL & owned his own diesel truck when the pandemic shut down live music. We talk windshield therapy, tornadoes on open highways, rest stop vs gas station debates, road snacks that actually work, Scribble Jam era stories, the pettiest reason he's ever cut a song from a project, Independent Rap 101, & what it takes to survive 2 decades as an independent artist without losing your mind. Plus Ade & I get philosophical 'bout memory & happiness before the interview.

As always, I drew live for 45 minutes while we chopped it up. This episode's subject: a mandalorian semi truck hybrid... rapper. Head to the YouTube version to watch the drawing come together.

BIG NEWS: The Forty Five LP preorder campaign launches July 14. Quad vinyl compilation featuring past DOD45 guests, cover art by me, jacket art by past artist guests like Craola & Jared Knight. Tiers include original 2026 Inktaiber sketches, the full DOD45 book with every drawing from every episode (including episodes that never aired), unclaimed original guest drawings, my rereleased books, a Fangoria Gospel puzzle, stickers & more. Follow @artbytai & @dod45w for all the particulars.

Episode isn't over til you hear Blackliq's last words.

Follow Blueprint: @printmatic

Vessel available now

Super Duty Tough Work podcast wherever you listen

Mr. Dibbs returns to The DOD45 Show to kick off 2026 with a focused, funny, and strangely revealing conversation that covers Ohio origins, tour life, Strange Famous energy, and the kind of everyday questions that accidentally expose your entire personality.

Dibbs is a Cincinnati lifer, DJ, producer, artist, and one of the key architects of Midwest underground hip hop. His new album Ohio Dirt is landing on Strange Famous Records, and we talk about what it means for that record to live in that world.

We also circle back to multiple eras of Dibbs releases and let the memories show up if they want to.

Did you know Dibbs has publicly written about Deadworld Reborn taking on deeper meaning after a medical incident where he briefly died for about 53 seconds, with the project becoming tied to tribute and preservation.

Good Fortune directed by Aziz Ansari

Mr. Dibbs PT Anderson trio

White City by Willow Kayne

Links

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Sage Francis on The DOD45 Show | Episode 120

A New Year conversation with one of independent hip hop’s most thoughtful voices.

In this episode of The DOD45 Show, we’re joined by Sage Francis, rapper, poet, label head, and founding force behind Strange Famous Records. This is a focused, reflective discussion about memory, internet culture, touring, creative longevity, and what it means to speak honestly while moments are still unfolding.

We talk about growing up in the same cultural era without living the same life, how pop culture imprints differently when you’re young, and why comment sections have become their own strange ecosystems. Sage also reflects on touring with Winter Carnival, Strange Famous community lore, and how creative priorities shift with time.

No press cycle energy. Just conversation.

Megalopolis directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Trailer: https://tidal.com/playlist/9dd15982-32da-45a5-87d6-21be12e911a4

ArtByTai → https://www.instagram.com/artbytai

STRANGE FAMOUS FAMILY FEUD HOLIDAY SPECIAL

The DOD45 Show

This is the Strange Famous Family Feud Holiday Special, a full length game show episode from The DOD45 Show, featuring artists from Strange Famous Records in a no rules, no sponsors, no safety rails version of classic Family Feud energy. Unfunded. Unsponsored. Unregulated.

Just real friendships, real competition, and the kind of arguing that only happens when people you love start fighting over imaginary points like it actually matters. If you grew up watching Family Feud during the holidays while everyone talked over the TV, this episode hits that exact nerve.

Expect loud reactions, wild confidence, angry contestants, unexpected answers, and laughs that escalate fast.

And while you’re here, do the real holiday move.

THE TEAMS

The Griswold Family

WHAT’S INSIDE THE EPISODE

DROP A COMMENT AND PLAY ALONG

Special holiday pop in messages from familiar DOD45 faces

WHY THIS EPISODE HITS

WATCH AND LISTEN

On this episode of The DOD45 Show we sit down with two of the funniest and most genuine creators in the Strange Famous orbit. Jesse the Tree and Mopes join us to talk about their brand new Strange Famous Records album Worm in Heaven and the conversation swings from deep introspection to absolute comedy with no warning at all. These two bring out the best in each other and the best in the room.

We talk about everything from childhood hangouts to creative rituals to the kind of small everyday memories that end up shaping entire careers. Jesse talks about how his work as a therapist informs his writing. Mopes breaks down how his journey from Prolyphic to full time producer changed the way he listens to music. And we toss in the kind of questions only this show would ask. Which NBA legend has the most Strange Famous energy. Who wins a Royal Rumble between Sage Francis Slug BlackLiq Onry Toadstool Defcee Andrew Fatboi Sharif and K the I. Imagine the answers.

Our movie pick this week is Wing Women.

Our song shares this week

Tai’s pick CryoNap by Chuck N Lock

And for more discoveries check out the DOD45 Luvs playlist

Quick notes about your guests

Mopes formerly Prolyphic has one of the most respected discographies in East Coast indie hip hop with projects ranging from The Ugly Truth to Unwound. His production work with Strange Famous artists keeps shaping the sound of the label.

If the underground means something to you this episode will feel like home.

Support the show by leaving a rating and review.

Follow more here

#StrangeFamousRecords #DOD45 #JesseTheTree #Mopes #Prolyphic #UndergroundHipHop #Podcast #ArtByTai #HipHopPodcast

Chicago’s multi-instrumental enigma NNAMDÏ crashes into The DOD45 Show for his very first visit, and this one goes everywhere. From math-rock chaos to hip-hop confessionals to avant-pop surrealism, NNAMDÏ opens up about the creative impulse that refuses to obey genre, job security, or even gravity.

Born to Nigerian parents, armed with an electrical-engineering degree he’ll probably never use again, NNAMDÏ walks us through the leap from “safe” life to full-time sonic adventure. We talk about finding peace in the noise, what it costs to stay independent, and why humor might be the most radical instrument in music. We unpack the layered insanity of his albums Brat and Please Have a Seat, and touch the early weirdness of “Scarlett Johansson” and “Vasectomy,” and suggest “Let Go of My Ego” as the moment he learned to stop explaining himself.

Then we break the format and dive into the DOD45 gauntlet:

🌀 If reincarnation’s real, which fly species does NNAMDÏ choose — dragon, house, butter, or may?

🌀 Who's getting the vote... Kendrick or Björk?

🌀 Wet the toothbrush before or after the toothpaste?

🌀 Cats or Synths? Harp or Recorder? Beach sunrise or City sunrise?

🌀 And somehow Mr. T comes up, and so do eyelashes?

(He has answers… and they’re beautifully strange.)

When Mr. Dibbs bursts in with a “Mayo or Miracle Whip” blitz, NNAMDÏ's asked to throw Tai into a vat of either....

which spirals into pitting Nirvana vs Nine Inch Nails and Sooper Records vs Super Mario... NNAMDÏ doesn’t flinch. He just laughs, reflects, and somehow turns it all philosophical.

🎬 Movie Share: I’m Thinking of Ending Things... Charlie Kaufman’s brain-bender starring Jessie Buckley. A film that bends identity and time the same way NNAMDÏ bends genre and expectation.

🎧 Music Shares:

• “57 Ways to Die” by Lord Toozy & J57... dark humor with a killer pulse.

• “Future Now” by Fritz Cook... a hopeful groove about persistence and strange beauty.

💻 Other Key Links

ArtByTai – https://www.instagram.com/artbytai  

DOD45 – https://www.instagram.com/dod45w  

Strange Famous Records – https://StrangeFamousRecords.com  

Mr Dibbs – https://MrDibbs.com  

Speakerface Store – https://Speakerface.Store  

🎧 DOD45 LUVS Playlist: https://tidal.com/playlist/9dd15982-32da-45a5-87d6-21be12e911a4 

f you love fearless art, unfiltered conversation, and creative minds that color outside the frame, hit LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this episode. Creation is a gift... spread it.

#NNAMDI #DOD45 #SooperRecords #ArtByTai #UndergroundHipHop #ExperimentalMusic #ChicagoMusic #MrDibbs #SageFrancis #PodcastShow #DrawingPodcast

The 2025 Halloween episode of The DOD45 Show brings back sibling band Slughead for 45 minutes of spooky fun, underground hip-hop energy, and live drawing. We set the timer, put pen to paper, and create an original black-and-white piece in real time while talking Halloween movies, haunted house memories, and the band’s origin story. If you enjoy podcasts, Halloween, drawing, art, and the independent music ecosystem that connects artists like Sage Francis and Mr. Dibbs, you’re in the right place. You’ll hear clips and references spanning Slughead’s catalog, from “Vamps in Space” to “This Album Is Haunted” and Jimmy Cry, plus talk of their upcoming EP “Tales of Sweat and Stink.”

We dig into the creative process behind tracks like “Serpent King,” “I Am Da Moon,” and live favorites “We Hate You, Ross” and “Fly Vampire,” and we talk about samples, synths, and why the band leans into eerie, playful storytelling. Sage Francis drops in with a thoughtful question pulled from the socials.

Mr. Dibbs gets his flowers as he preps for tour. And as always, the drawing unfolds on camera while we run rapid-fire Halloween questions, swap horror recommendations, and keep the energy loose and candid. If you’re a fan of underground hip-hop, Strange Famous Records, or rising indie bands like Nalei and Slughead, this is a perfect October watch.

Support Slughead’s music on Bandcamp at slughead.bandcamp.com, stream our DOD45 LUVS playlist, and catch new episodes Wednesdays at 8 pm ET when we’re in season. If you’re here from the Sage Francis, Mr. Dibbs, indie hip-hop, podcast, art or live drawing worlds, like, subscribe, and jump into the comments with your top three Halloween movies and one must-add Halloween song. Thanks for riding with The DOD45 Show.

Plus we share spooky picks and art talk:

Tai’s horror movie favourites (like Scream, Day of the Dead, Creepshow 2, The Crow, Lost Boys) and his song picks (Whistling Past the Graveyard, Murder in the Red Barn, What’s He Building in There?, Little Drop of Poison by Tom Waits).

Adrienne’s picks (Lost Boys, Lisa Frankenstein, Interview With the Vampire and Zombie Delight by Buck 65).

And coming from Slugghead:

Nalei’s film list (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Babysitter, Fear Street 2, Idle Hands) and her track I Want to Be Evil by Eartha Kitt.

Soul’s favourite films (Scream, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, Your Monster) and songs (Wicked Game by Chris Isaak, Psycho Killer by Talking Heads, Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell).

And don’t miss the bonus ArtByTai picks:

film The Hills Have Eyes and song Vlad the Impaler by Kasabian.

🎧 Listen to the DOD45 “Luvs Song Share” playlist for more: https://tidal.com/playlist/9dd15982-32da-45a5-87d6-21be12e911a4 

Remember to hit Subscribe, Like, and leave a comment telling us your favourite spooky track or movie. Share this episode with friends and family who love underground hip-hop, art, drawing, Halloween vibes, and independent music culture. Peace.

💻 Other links:

ArtByTai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbytai  

DOD45 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dod45w  

Strange Famous Records: https://StrangeFamousRecords.com  

Mr. Dibbs: https://MrDibbs.com  

Speakerface Store: https://Speakerface.Store

#ArtByTai #StrangeFamousRecords #SFR #DOD45